Sounds good to me, Noel.

Re: weekday homilies

Yes, that's a new invention. However, there was plenty of weekday preaching of sermons outside of Mass. Dominicans were all about the public preaching in the square, that sort of thing. And the Franciscans, and the Precious Blood guys, and most of the missionary orders, too. They didn't wait for Sunday to have St. Albert the Great roll through town preaching Crusade, or whatever the preaching need of the moment might be.

Oh, and I think feastdays normally got homilies.

Having a visible choir does not in any way signal that they are singing just for the people. Far from it. It has never ocurred to me that, whether 'in choir' or in a west gallery, I was singing but to the All Holy. As we know, it is very common for Anglican/Episcopalian choirs to actually be situated in an actual choir. Their visibiliy does not translate their role into one of entertainment. It, rather, enhances and legitimises their liturgical role. Ditto many modern Catholic churches which place their choirs in visible areas (though they yet studiously avoid the architectural 'choir'). There is nothing so demeaning to the role of music and musicians, so indicative of their irrelevance as hiding them behind screens or putting them (a la Westminster Cathedral) in some hidden area behind the sanctuary where, physically and psychologically, they are not participants in the liturgical action, but only of peripheral and incidental importance to it. THIS is an example of an 'invention' which should never have been.

And, I would suggest that microphones are not necessary for crooning - though they do make it worse. (Also, I have seen, a long time ago, microphones haphazardly screwed onto organ consoles so that the 'organist' could screech into them while singing and playing; I remember observing that only Catholics would do something so impossibly tasteless.)

... and as for 'visible' choirs - the great thing about the traditional Anglican placing of a choir is that, being seated North & South in high-fronted pews, it's barely visible. I sing monthly in one Catholic Church where we're at the front and facing the audience congregation. I squirm silently the whole mass through (but it's worth it because they're a great bunch and the music's good!).

Ha! Actually, I detest sermons at evensong. And, you are right about the 'in choir' seating. Visible does not translate into 'on display'. No one, after all, would say that because priest and acolytes are visible that they are entertaining us (would he?).

Reading the newspaper??? !!! Arrgh! - Another reason why choirs and organists should be 'in choir', participating wholly in the liturgy!

Actually, my usually relaxed attitude to diocesan control tightens when it comes to homilies. I believe newly ordained deacons should be licensed for 3 minutes max. Their efforts would then be reviewed yearly by a Diocesan panel, made up of clergy and laity. The panel would have the right to grant an extension of a half minute a year, or to impose a restriction of the same. On reaching 6 minutes, the review would become trienial. Subsequently, two consecutive restrictions would trigger a return to yearly review.

There are so many sloppy homilies out there.

ps a newpaper's difficult when singing 'in choir', but a book is quite feasible. Only during the homily, you understand.

"ps a newpaper's difficult when singing 'in choir', but a book is quite feasible. Only during the homily, you understand."

Can you say Kindle? ;-)

Actually, I don't remember sermons being given every Sunday before Vatican II.

I think part of the problem with the weekday homily is that it makes the quality of homilies lower. How much work can be put in on a weekday homily? An hour if a priest is lucky...

Okay, I'll bite: High Mass on weekday mornings was almost always ....without microphone.....

Given that the Christian era, before Vatican II, was some 1930 years...yes, I agree there was rarely a microphone. Probably not an organist that often either.

"At no time did he step to the pulpit and preach.
.... I'll bet priests preached more often than never....1930 years is a long time.
There was that famous sermon from Lady Margaret Beaufort's month's mind Mass in 1509. It's awfully hard in Catholic experience, to say, "always" or "never."

Not permitted??? What a fine idea!
Then, perhaps, we would again build churches with the acoustics which make a PA system needless... pointless.
I know of two prominent (Catholic) churches in Houston which actually have padded walls!

Padded walls can be useful when a director of music is forced to lead On Beagles Wings. Cushions the head when banging it against the walls. Pot did, and I am told, still serves to blunt the effects of leading and having to listen to bad music at Mass. And results in such things as telling brides that you will play Taco Bell if they insist.

One bizarre sermon I heard was when a priest with a rather low/average IQ preached on a pop song (ALWAYS A MISTAKE) and did not understand that the title had two meanings, the second one being very physical. In a biblical sense. Choir members did not look at each other.

re: padded walls

A parish in the town I grew up in had this...
I literally felt like there was something wrong with my ear just walking next to it. It was weird.

The church I work for worships in a gothic-ceilinged chapel which is very narrow, somewhat long, and very tall. Our cheapo Hammond sounds like a pipe organ and my choir of 5 old biddies sounds like Schola Hungarica. (okay, well- almost)
It's ridiculous what architecture can do.

The carpet, usually shag, came form sound people...."But father, there's going to be a lot of flash from that back wall, we have to fix it."

The same wall the architect put there to reflect sound from the choir back into the room, eliminating the for microphones.